It’s never really a calm day in the Kansas City Chiefs, is it? Just when you think the roster’s set, the playbook’s tight, and Mahomes is gearing up to do his things—bam! The front office hits you with a surprise. While everyone’s busy debating who’s going to be WR1 or if Travis Kelce is ageing like fine wine or barrel-aged whiskey, the Chiefs slipped in a couple of moves that made fans do a double-take on the transaction wire. You blink, and suddenly there’s a new name in the building—and maybe a familiar one heading out.

We’re not talking about some jaw-dropping trade or a midnight Schefter bomb. Nope—this one crept in like a sneaky shovel pass from Mahomes. For a team eyeing another Lombardi run, you don’t usually see roster shakeups this close to camp, especially not on an offence that’s already juggling new faces and fresh schemes. But hey, this is the Chiefs we’re talking about. If there’s one thing Andy Reid loves more than cheeseburgers, it’s keeping fans on their toes.

On Friday, Kansas City quietly made a couple of surprising moves: releasing tight end Kevin Foelsch and guard Tremayne Anchrum Jr. It wasn’t just a numbers game—these weren’t cuts for the sake of cutting. The team made room for two unexpected minicamp risers: tight end Geor’Quarius Spivey and O-lineman Joey Lombard. Yes—they’re subtle changes on paper, but ones that can very easily come back to bite. Especially in a season that’s already seen its fair share of growing pains.

As we approach the training camp, these back-to-back cuts feel like more than just a bit of summer housekeeping. Both Foelsch and Anchrum were part of an offence that, let’s be honest, didn’t exactly light up the scoreboard in 2024. So now, as the Chiefs start tightening things up, it’s fair to wonder—are they just fine-tuning the roster? Or is this the first hint that Andy Reid & Co. are quietly addressing some bigger concerns in the team?

Let’s call it like it is—the 2024 Chiefs offence wasn’t exactly vintage KC. Sure, they still made a deep playoff run (because, well, they’re the Chiefs), but the usual fireworks felt a little… dimmer. They averaged 23.8 points per game, which landed them 9th in the league. For a team that’s built its identity on lighting up scoreboards, that kind of dip doesn’t go unnoticed.

The O-line had its shaky moments in 2024, giving up 34 sacks—up from just 26 the year before—and the run game didn’t exactly take pressure off. Well, aside from Isiah Pacheco doing his usual bulldozing. Tremayne Anchrum Jr. wasn’t a starter, but he was solid depth—insurance you don’t think twice about until you suddenly need it. Letting him go now? That says the Chiefs are either all-in on fresh faces like Joey Lombard or crossing their fingers that the injury curse stays far, far away.

And then there’s Kevin Foelsch. With Travis Kelce heading into Year 13 and likely getting more rest during camp, you’d think the Chiefs would hold onto every promising tight end they can find. Foelsch showed some upside in spring workouts, so cutting him now feels a bit risky. If Kelce tweaks something midseason—or the depth behind him doesn’t step up—this could be one of those “why’d we let that guy walk?” moments. Who’s the most affected by these moves? Yes—Mahomes. Particularly, the WR moves. But he’s not too concerned.

Mahomes has full faith in the WR room

“They’ve done a great job of working and continuing to work to get even better,” Mahomes said when asked about his stance on the WR room. Despite all the roster shuffling, Patrick Mahomes isn’t losing sleep. In classic Mahomes fashion, he’s backing his guys—and doubling down on the group already in the room. When asked about the wide receiver room, he pointed to the growing connection with Xavier Worthy, the deep-threat potential of Hollywood Brown, and Rashee Rice (assuming he’s back on the field soon). Oh, and don’t forget JuJu Smith-Schuster, who’s back in red and gold after a New England pit stop, hoping to run it back to that 2022 spark.

Let’s not get this wrong—was Mahomes elite last season? Yes. Did he live up to his own standards? No. He still put up 4,202 passing yards and 27 touchdowns, but that TD mark was his lowest since taking over as the full-time starter. Toss in 13 interceptions, and yeah, it wasn’t vintage MVP Mahomes. And next season? He’s going to need all the help in the world from his WRs.

With the Chiefs trimming the roster and betting on upside, training camp just turned into a full-blown audition. Guys like Lombard and Spivey aren’t just camp bodies anymore—they’ve got real expectations now. It’s no longer about surviving the 90-man shuffle; it’s about showing they can step in when it counts on Sundays. And if they don’t work out? The Chiefs are going to have some real problems this season.